Charbel Rizkallah and his family have successfully run Domino’s Pizza on Saratoga Street in Orient Heights for over a decade. In 2013 Rizkallah branched out and launched the fine wine and spirit business next door to his successful pizza chain.
At the Orient Heights Neighborhood Council December meeting, the group voted overwhelmingly in favor of Rizkallah’s plans to expand the hours of operation at Domino’s.
Currently Domino’s closes at midnight on the weekdays and 1 a.m. on weekends.
OHNC voted to support Rizkallah’s plans to keep Domino’s open until 2am seven days a week.
Rizkallah explained that a majority of Domino’s business is delivery with very little take out.
“It’s a very low-key operation,” explained Rizkallah. “There’s no place to eat inside and most of our business is delivery so it’s not like we’ll have people inside hanging out until 2 a.m.”
In fact Rizkallah said the pizza shop will most likely lock the doors at the same time it does now and just run the late-night delivery operation until close.
Neighbor Liz Bagley said she supports the expansion of Domino’s hours because Rizkallah has been a good neighbor since opening the pizza franchise and the subsequent Belle Isle Wine and Spirits next door in 2013.
“I live 100 feet away,” said Bagley. “it’s not even loud at 6 or 7 o’clock at night. All his drivers are all very respectable to the neighborhood and don’t speed or anything. He runs a good business.”
In 2013 the OHNC supported Rizakallh’s plans to open Belle Isle Wine and Spirits, a high-end wine, cheese and spirits shop next door to his Domino’s Pizza franchise at 1144 Saratoga St.
As part of the proposal, Rizkallah agreed to undergo a complete overhaul of the Domino’s Pizza façade and create a more historic look with gooseneck lighting, a main streets-type wood sign and awnings.
Rizkallah mirrored his success with a high end wine, cheese and spirits shop in Watertown here in Eastie.